Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[MisterPenguin]

I don’t buy that for a second. That is the old farts in Hollywood trying to justify a washed up distribution model.

Just look at K-pop: Demon Hunters.

You know that Netflix put KPDH in theaters for a week or so, right?

 

[Serpico Jones]

You know that Netflix put KPDH in theaters for a week or so, right?

2 days, which is the same amount of time that Tron: Feces belonged in theaters.

 

[Serpico Jones]

I think they understand their business very well: they schlep product 24 hours a day to everyone on the planet and make a killing doing it

He was talking about the streaming side of their business.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

He was talking about the streaming side of their business.

Which was my point…why do they really care?

It’s more like a loss leader for them just for exposure

 

[DKampy]

It seems to me these films with cult followings that build over time are more niche then the Studios realize… as Disney is not the only studio with this issue… see Blade Runner and Mad Max

 

[Disney Analyst]

I like Tron. I would have happily gone to see this in theatres, as I did the last one, but I’m not going to see a movie with Jared Leto starring.

That’s pretty rare - normally the way an actor or actress behaves outside of a particular film, etc. doesn’t affect my ability to enjoy the story.

But he absolutely makes my skin crawl, and that’s not an uncommon sentiment.
I worked in the music industry for over a decade, and the guy was, at best, a creep.

I’m not sure why Disney has been so ready to work with a leading man who has had some pretty uncomfortable rumors following him around for the majority of his career.

I wonder how many women are avoiding the film?

I brought this up a while ago, the Leto problem. Some here did not think it would matter as much, but I do wonder… especially when I keep finding comments like yours, or this:

 

[Phroobar]

The majority of people could care less about Tron so I guess they figured why waste the money

So why make a movie then?

 

[TP2000]

The majority of people could care less about Tron so I guess they figured why waste the money

And so Burbank spent $180 Million to produce the movie, and another $90 Million-ish to promote it?

That doesn't make sense. If they knew people "could care less about Tron", then why'd they waste $270+ Million on it when they allegedly knew it would lose money?

And how much would a new C Ticket for Epcot or DAK, or a day parade for any of their many parade-less parks, cost today?

It couldn't be more than what they just spent to produce and market Tron: Ares.

 

[TP2000]

I brought this up a while ago, the Leto problem. Some here did not think it would matter as much, but I do wonder… especially when I keep finding comments like yours, or this:

Without going to Google, what exactly did Mr. Leto do, or not do, to warrant some folks boycotting Tron: Ares?

Did he vote the wrong way and then dare talk about it? Or did he do that thing that so many Hollywood types, who are so much better than us and so morally superior to all the mere mortals, do with a young woman or young man?

I'm tempted to go to Google to learn, but I also don't want to corrupt my pristine search algorithm.

 

[Alice a]

Without going to Google, what exactly did Mr. Leto do, or not do, to warrant some folks boycotting Tron: Ares?

Did he vote the wrong way and then dare talk about it? Or did he do that thing that so many Hollywood types, who are so much better than us and so morally superior to all the mere mortals, do with a young woman or young man?

I'm tempted to go to Google to learn, but I also don't want to corrupt my pristine search algorithm.

The most delicate way to put it is: he likes very, very young women - many who are technically girls - and he likes them in an unusually aggressive, controlling way.

A seasoned tour manager warned a few of us once, very early in my career, at music festival Leto was also performing at, to never be alone with him or his people.

It wasn’t the only time I heard this, or saw why.

 

[Prince-1]

So why make a movie then?

Good question. My guess is they hoped that with bringing the Tronverse to our world and using a big name lead would generate interest and maybe help this franchise get some traction. It obviously didn't work.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Without going to Google, what exactly did Mr. Leto do, or not do, to warrant some folks boycotting Tron: Ares?

Did he vote the wrong way and then dare talk about it? Or did he do that thing that so many Hollywood types, who are so much better than us and so morally superior to all the mere mortals, do with a young woman or young man?

I'm tempted to go to Google to learn, but I also don't want to corrupt my pristine search algorithm.

He’s accused of many bad things.

 

[erasure fan1]

Which was my point…why do they really care?

It’s more like a loss leader for them just for exposure

Correct. Prime video is nothing more than a "bonus" for getting prime. They aren't trying to really compete with Netflix.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The most delicate way to put it is: he likes very, very young women - many who are technically girls - and he likes them in an unusually aggressive, controlling way.

A seasoned tour manager warned a few of us once, very early in my career, at music festival Leto was also performing at, to never be alone with him or his people.

It wasn’t the only time I heard this, or saw why.

It’s interesting what Disney finds acceptable and not acceptable, filming near a genocide site for Mulan and then thanking the people who did it? All good! Hiring actors with serious SA allegations? All good! Say something controversial? Cancelled and blacklisted!

 

[Disney Irish]

It’s interesting what Disney finds acceptable and not acceptable, filming near a genocide site for Mulan and then thanking the people who did it? All good! Hiring actors with serious SA allegations? All good! Say something controversial? Cancelled and blacklisted!

In Disney's defense on Leto, and lets not get off into things that are not supposed to be talked about here, most of this came out after he was already contracted for the projected. And its very likely he had a pay or play contract which would means they would have to pay him anyways. So I'm sure they hoped they could manage any fall out from it in the short term.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

In Disney's defense on Leto, and lets not get off into things that are not supposed to be talked about here, most of this came out after he was already contracted for the projected. And its very likely he had a pay or play contract which would means they would have to pay him anyways. So I'm sure they hoped they could manage any fall out from it in the short term.

Likely true but I suspect it would have cost them less in the long run to reshoot his scenes than they lost in sales.

The Flash (DC) had a similar situation and IMHO made the same mistake, with something this controversial I think you have to err on the side of caution and recast the role, even if it’s expensive.

 

[brideck]

In Disney's defense on Leto, and lets not get off into things that are not supposed to be talked about here, most of this came out after he was already contracted for the projected. And its very likely he had a pay or play contract which would means they would have to pay him anyways. So I'm sure they hoped they could manage any fall out from it in the short term.

Right. To corroborate the timeline on this, although it may have been an open secret, allegations didn't really hit the public sphere until June 2025. So any impact to Leto's career re: casting decisions will happen from here on out. For example, he'll be Skeletor in next year's Masters of the Universe, but that was also cast and shot before any of this came out in the mainstream news.

 

[Phroobar]

Good question. My guess is they hoped that with bringing the Tronverse to our world and using a big name lead would generate interest and maybe help this franchise get some traction. It obviously didn't work.

Also we all should be supporting a movie IP that was home grown at Disney and not acquired.

 

[Disney Irish]

Likely true but I suspect it would have cost them less in the long run to reshoot his scenes than they lost in sales.

The Flash (DC) had a similar situation and IMHO made the same mistake, with something this controversial I think you have to err on the side of caution and recast the role, even if it’s expensive.

However that would have likely doubled the budget, as not to give much away of the movie he is in at least half the movie. I mean he is the Ares of Tron: Ares after all. Plus he still would have been paid anyways.

So the cost analysis side of things figures it cheaper to just go ahead than try to reshoot around him.

 

[Disney Irish]

Right. To corroborate the timeline on this, although it may have been an open secret, allegations didn't really hit the public sphere until June 2025. So any impact to Leto's career re: casting decisions will happen from here on out. For example, he'll be Skeletor in next year's Masters of the Universe, but that was also cast and shot before any of this came out in the mainstream news.

True, and from what I understand it was actually Leto himself who push to get this project greenlit anyways. He would have been tied to it no matter what.